Week #1
• Radishes
• Kale or chard
• Spinach
• Mizuna or arugula
• Sprouting broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Lettuce
• Shallots
• Walnuts
• Parsley
Wow, the start of our 14th season! Our CSA has grown from our 7 founding members (5 of whom are still with us, way to go) to 75 shares (over 100 members). We have been working hard to get ready for the season. Many of the items you receive in these first few weeks have been “overwintered”. They were planted in the summer last year and have survived our relatively mild winter and are at their peak now. We have new seedlings ready to go in their places, as soon as they are harvested.
We hope to have a great year, with bounty (just enough and not too overwhelming) to feed a family of 4. For some of you this will be quite challenging but know you are not alone. You will adjust your diet accordingly. I often find that certain vegetables get eaten quickly and others linger. Both of the kale recipes below make quick order of the kale. The cauliflower can be roasted and consumed for breakfast. The sprouting broccoli is so delicious it will go quickly as well. We have a lot of lettuce right now and more on the way, enjoy a salad every day. The radishes are just right, sweet with a bit of heat, we just stick them in our lunch bag and munch them with carrots and celery. Their tops make great soup (see recipe below). Now, that got you through 5 meals.
We will offer vegetable starts again to our customers if you want to plant some of your own veggies. They will be ready towards the beginning of May. We will send out an order form and will have some available in the barn when you pick up. We will offer a wide variety of greens, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and more. All are sustainably grown here at La Finquita. We use organic potting soil and organic seeds when the varieties are available. It is still very early to get crops out in the garden but as the temperature warms we will be ready to help you plan your garden.
Lyn sells vegetable starts with Polly Gottesman at the Beaverton Farmers Market http://www.beavertonfarmersmarket.com/ under her farms name: Pumpkin Ridge Gardens. That market opens May 11 and runs through the end of November. If you just can’t wait until Mother’s day weekend want a full selection come see us at Catlin Gable School http://www.catlin.edu/event/beginning-school/spring-festival-2, May 5. We are also selling at Birthing Way Plant sale on Hawthorne in the Ben and Jerry’s parking lot on May 4 and May 5.
We should have plenty of delicious meat available this season. Our piglets look more like half grown pigs already and they are just 4 months old. Our lambs are all jumping about and growing on pasture grass. We will have 6 – 8 steers to be butchered in the fall. We are taking deposits for the meat. Details are on the website under “extras”. Basically you buy a ½ or whole animal, pay the butcher, cut and wrap and the price per pound hanging weight to the farmer. It is a $100 deposit per animal type. As we mentioned we may have turkeys for your Thanksgiving table, but we won’t take deposits until September when we can almost assure they will survive.
Each week we will provide recipes to go with the vegetables we provide in the share, you can always find more on our website under “recipes” tab. Other favorite sites also have recipes. We try and provide both simple and complex recipes, if it says “family favorite” know it is something we use all the time and love. We love to get your favorite recipes as well, so send them on via our email and we will post them on the website.
Now it is time to go out and harvest those vegetables! Have a great week and don’t hesitate to contact us should you have questions or comments.
Kale Salad (FAMILY FAVORITE)
from Kris Schamp
Flax oil (1/8 C) (Can use any extra virgin olive oil)
Lemon juice (1/8 C)
Soy sauce* (less than 1/8 C)
1 bunch kale
Red onion
Shredded or shaved (with peeler) carrots
¼ C pumpkin seeds
1/8 C sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Sprouts (any kind)
Mushrooms (optional)
* can use Bragg’s – a low sodium substitute for soy sauce
1) Make the dressing: equal parts flax oil, lemon juice & soy sauce (or Bragg’s – a low sodium substitute for soy sauce. Use less soy sauce if sensitive.)
Marinate very thinly sliced / shaved red onion in the dressing while you prepare the kale.
2) De-stem the kale – try to get the young, tender smaller leaves.
Cut it into ribbons. Place in very large bowl to allow for easy mixing.
Add rest of “dry” ingredients.
3) Add the dressing and marinated onions to the kale mixture. Using hands, gently massage the dressing into the kale; softening down the structure of the kale and aiding the absorption of the dressing by the kale.
Let sit for a while (20-30 mins) before serving. Can be made well beforehand and refrigerated. Can add chopped avocado when serving. Goes well with marinated tofu-you can use the same dressing.
Radish Top Soup
Don’t through out your radish greens. Believe it or not, those fuzzy leaves can be transformed into a smooth green soup, with a hint of watercress flavor.
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions or white part of leek
8 cups loosely packed radish leaves
2 cups diced potatoes
6 cups liquid (water, chicken stock or combo)
salt
½ cup heavy cream (optional)
freshly ground pepper
Melt 4 T butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks and cook until golden, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in radish tops cover pan and cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile cook potatoes until soft in liquid along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Combine with the radish tops and cook covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors. Puree finely in a food processor of food mill. Ad the cream if desired and enrich with 2 T of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot. (serves 4-6)
Baked Crispy Kale Recipe
Servings: 4 as snack Prep Time: 5 Cook Time: 20
The biggest secret to getting the kale super-crisp is to dry them in a salad spinner. If there is moisture on the leaves, the kale will steam, not crisp. Also, do not salt the kale until after they have come out of the oven. If you salt beforehand, the salt will just cause the kale to release moisture…thus steaming instead of crisping. I’ve found that pouring the oil over the kale and then massaging it into the kale really helps. I cook it at 350 degrees for 10 – 13 minutes. Have fun with this recipe, I sometimes mix the salt with Cajun or Creole seasoning.
Ingredients:
4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
(I like to grate parmesan cheese over them before baking)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12 minute mark – the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they’ll be burnt and bitter) Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and serve.
Arugula Pesto with Herbed Ricotta Gnocchi
Pesto
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 1/2 cups arugula leaves, well rinsed and towel-dried
1 1/2 packed cups fresh spinach leaves, well rinsed and towel-dried
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Gnocchi
1 cup semolina flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chervil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh fennel leaves
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese, drained
Olive oil, for tossing gnocchi
12 lemon gem marigolds
1. Make the pesto: With the motor running, drop the garlic through the feed tube of a food processor to mince. Add the pine nuts, arugula, spinach, and Parmesan and pulse until the greens are finely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add the oil to make a thick paste. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. (The pesto can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.)
2. Make the gnocchi: Place the semolina, chives, sage, chervil, fennel, salt, nutmeg, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Transfer to a medium bowl and, with your hands, blend in the ricotta. Flour your hands and knead the dough in the bowl until all the ingredients cling together. The dough will be sticky, but do not add more flour or the gnocchi will be heavy.
3. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and dust with flour. Place about 1/3 cup of dough at a time on a lightly floured work surface and roll it underneath your palms to make a 1/2-inch-thick rope. Cut the rope into 3/4-inch-long pieces. Using the tines of a fork, press an indentation into each piece and place the gnocchi on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is used.
4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface. Boil for 30 seconds, until the gnocchi are set but tender. Drain well. (The gnocchi can be made up to 4 hours ahead, rinsed under cold water and drained well.) Toss the gnocchi with olive oil and store at room temperature. To reheat, cook in a large nonstick skillet over low heat, or drop into boiling water to warm. Toss the hot gnocchi with the pesto, garnish with marigolds, and serve immediately.
• The Complete Kitchen Garden
Text copyright © 2011 Ellen Ecker Ogden